KARACHI, Aug 27: An anti-terrorism court on Monday recorded the depositions of kidnap victim Ali Akbar, his father Saifuddin and private witness Rehmatullah in a case concerning Akbar’s kidnapping from the Super Highway on February 17, 2007.

Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of ATC-V, who is conducting the trial, fixed August 28 as the date for further proceedings and asked Special Public Prosecutor Mohammed Mazhar Qayyum to produce prosecution witnesses so that their statements could be recorded.

He told the court that the statements of 14 witnesses have been recorded so far and some 5 further witnesses will be produced at the next hearing.

According to the prosecution, Ali Akbar and a guest were travelling from the airport on the night the crime was committed when the accused, posing as policemen, stopped them at the Super Highway. While the guest waited in the car, Akbar was kidnapped and put in another vehicle. He was then taken to Faqeera Goth, which lies in the limits of the Sachhal police station.

The next day, the kidnappers demanded a Rs20 million ransom for Akbar’s release. After negotiations with Akbar’s father Saifuddin, they agreed to accept Rs500,000 which were to be handed over at Islamabad airport. The prosecution told the court that the ransom was accordingly handed over by Saifuddin on February 21, 2007, and Akbar was released in Karachi the same day.

A case (FIR No. 91/07) was registered under Section 365-A of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Sachhal police station.

The four men accused in the case — Sheraz Ahmed, Khwaj Mohammed, Qari Yaseen and Sherazul Haq — were arrested in different case on February 28 from a house in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri. Reportedly, they confessed to the crime during interrogations but when they were indicted by the court on March 8, they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

While recording his statement in court, Ali Akbar identified two of the accused: Sheraz Ahmed, who he said had driven the car at the time of the kidnapping, and Khwaj Mohammed, who had served him meals during his captivity.

Saifuddin, meanwhile, identified Sheraz Ahmed as the person to whom he had handed over the ransom money at Islamabad airport.

Private witness Rehmatullah is the owner of the Faqeera Goth house where Akbar was held captive. He told the court that he did not know the accused men but had rented the house out to Qari Yaseen forRs2,000 per month.